The best whiskey in the world isn't from Scotland, England, or Ireland. It isn't Canadian or American. It is, rather, from Japan.

That's at least the opinion of Jim Murray, an aficionado who presides over the World Whiskey Bible guide. For the first time in the publication's 12-year history, Murray—who sampled over 1,000 different whiskeys—awarded the top prize this year to the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013. No Scottish whiskey even finished in the top three.

"It's a single malt which no Scotch can at the moment get anywhere near," he said.

(Bottle says "Whisky", without an e, which I thought was exclusive to the Scots.)

I find this hard to believe. To the tasting room!